Month: November 2012

You are invited to join Dr. Forrest Meggers, who runs the Low Exergy Module of the Future Cities Laboratory, for a Roundtable Discussion with SUMA students on November 28th at 5pm. The discussion will include insights from his work on how architecture can be informed by integrated low energy systems that expand space and flexibility in design. This event is a must for built environment enthusiasts!

Dr. Forrest MeggersDr. Forrest received his PhD in May 2011 under Professor Leibundgut in the Building Systems Group of the Institute for Technology in Architecture at the ETH Zurich. He researched integrated low exergy building systems and is the author of several papers on the subject. He received a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering, researching sustainable buildings and he received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with High Distinction in Mechanical Engineering, both from the University of Iowa in the United States. He is also a LEED accredited professional and has served on several committees from the USGBC. He is committed to reducing the significant contribution to global CO2 emissions from the building sector which he researched under Dr James Hansen at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) before coming to Switzerland where he began his work on new low exergy technologies to address the energy and CO2 problem of buildings.

LowEx Buildings

Building energy efficiency and building technology have often been seen by architects as nemesis to design freedom. Walls must have thick insulation and space must be allocated for ducting and piping systems, which must them be hidden. LowEx building philosophy removes these constraints. We can show how building technologies can be integrated into the structural fabric of a building while providing the heating and cooling needs with half the energy of standard systems. Energy reduction is achieved through simple thermodynamics, independent of building insulation and construction, thereby facilitating very efficient operation without massive restrictions to facade and shell design. In turn, the reduced electricity demand to operate the building systems, facilitates the generation of this demand on sight through integrated renewables. All this is achieved through low exergy systems, and a truly integrated design framework, which means not just having the civil, mechanical and architectural designers using the same BIM software, but actually inventing and creating the building concept together and simultaneously solving their design problems. Integrated design is a buzzword that could be done much more effectively if more designers were willing to leave their comfort zone, and not just cross, but smash the barriers between disciplines involved in building creation. LowEx is one philosophy that does a good job of facilitating this type of action and we will demonstrate how it works and where it has been successfully implemented in the European (Switzerland/Germany) and the Tropical (Singapore/Indonesia/Malaysia) context.

Throughout the year, the Sustainable Development Seminar Series will bring together Earth Institute faculty members and research scientists working across disciplines to address and communicate the major challenges of sustainable development. For past seminars, please visit SDSS. Please look for more Sustainable Development Seminars in the spring.

Join us for SUMASA’s end of semester party on Friday, November 30th at Elmo in Chelsea. Kick off holiday party season, take a break, and blow off some steam with your SUMA friends as finals and project deadlines approach! There will be $5 beer and wine and a limited food menu including apps and burgers, and SUMA’s own Jeremy Capungcol will be spinning tunes, so make sure you strap on your dancing shoes!

The housing and energy efficiency worlds are coming together for BuildingEnergy New York City. Join NYC chapter of NorthEast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) at Hunter College to learn from and with other professionals about understanding energy usage and City policy requirements to make better multifamily buildings. If you’re after useful, accessible technical learning and great networking opportunities, you need to be here.

Who Should Attend:
Building Owners, Superintendents, Building Staff, Energy Geeks, Students and other interested professionals.

Venue

Saturday, December 1, 2012
9:30am-4:15pm
CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities at Hunter College
126 East 68th Street New York, NY

SUMASA is organizing a ski trip for the weekend of January 25th through the 27th. We have been looking into a number of properties, and found a great one close to Killington Mountain in Vermont. The cost of the trip will be roughly $225, including transportation, lodging, breakfast & dinners, and booze. Lift tickets and rentals will be separate, but no worries we are currently in talks with Killington to receive a group discount on these items. Additionally, if you have a vehicle and are willing to drive up to Killington, this will reduce your costs, and potentially the entire trips costs.